Armor for pneumatic tires.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BACONW AKEMAN, OF FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

ARMOR FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 671,986, dated April16, 1901.

Application filed September 12,1900. berial No. 293%. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BACON WAKEMAN,a citizen of the United States, and aresident of.

Fairfield, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and usefullmprovements in Armors for PneumaticTires, of which the following is a specification. v

My invention relates to improvements in armors for tires such as arecommonly used for bicycles, automobiles, and similar vehicles, and isequally applicable to either the pneumatic or solid-rubber tire types.

It is the object of my invention to provide as nearly as possible anon-puncturable armor for tires and also to insure resiliency andelasticity thereto.

In the carrying out of my invention I employ two materials especiallyarranged with relation to each other, one of which, properly speaking,constitutes the armor or non-puncturable portion and the other theresilient material, which gives life and durability to the entirety.

It is therefore the purpose of my invention to improve upon devices ofthe above class by providing a resilient non-puncturable tirearmor whichsubstantially consists of an outer layer of non-puncturable fibrousmaterial,

such as cotton, and an inner or intermediate core of a more resilientand durable substance, such as metal wire-wool, as will later be morefully explained.

With the above object in view my invention resides and consists in thenovel construction of a tire, as shown upon the accompanying sheet ofdrawings, forming a part of this specification, upon which similarletters of reference denote like or corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures, and of which- Figure 1 shows a central verticallongitudinal section throughout a portion of a tire fitted with myimproved armor. Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross-section on line 2 2of:

Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar cross-section December23, 1899, Serial No.741,488, I have shown, described, and claimed an armor formed of metalwire-wool and cotton, which in a measure accomplishes the objectsoughtafter in this invention and is a perfectly practicable anddesirable tire. In said application the Wire-wool, however, is placedupon the inside and the cotton upon the outer or tread side, thusconstituting an inner layer of wire-wool and an outer layer of cotton.My present invention, therefore, is an improvement upon that tire aswell as upon the art generally to which it belongs, as will now be morefully. explained.

Referring in detail to the characters of reference marked upon thedrawings, A indicates the tire as a whole; B, the air-chamber, asindicated in Figs. 1 and 2; G, the wall dividing said air-chamber fromthe armor, and D indicates the tread of a tire. The armor, as beforestated, comprises the combined application of metal wire-wool andfibrous material when employed, as hereinshown, in the form of a core E,of wire-Wool, and a surrounding layer of cotton F. In practice thesearmors are made up substantially as shown in Fig. 4 and are then moldedwith the tire and the armor-chamber between the walls C and D, asindicated in the drawings.

The purpose of my special arrangement in materials, as shown in thisapplication, is to overcome a serious objection which is apparent intires using an armor of metal wirewool alone or wherein the wire-Wool isex posed to the tire upon any side. In practice the wire-wool is veryelastic and will stand a great deal .of compression and usage and stillretain the desired amount of elasticity and life, which tends to retainthe two walls of the tire at a desired distance apart, yet aftercontinued long usage and exposure of the tire to the heat of the sun orvery hot pavements the wire will in part become broken or pulverized.When in this condition, it is liable to penetrate or wear out the wallsof the tire more or less in accordance with the length of saidparticles, their position in the tire, and other minor circumstances. Itwill therefore be apparent that by employing a covering for thewire-wool such as I have indicated in this easenamely,

of cotton-in the first place the life of the Wool is enhanced, since itis protected and not exposed to the tire and the elements surrounding itand will thus not crystallize and break so quickly. Furthermore, if itshould break, the cotton covering will hold it in place and prevent itfrom engaging and injuring the tire.

It will be obvious, of course, that after a little usage cotton willbecome packed and then in character is very similar to felt and in ameasure acts somewhat in the same manner as against the attemptedpenetration of a pointed instrument. \Vhen so packed, the

fibers are very closely intermingled and in a Way which resistspenetration more quickly than any form of Woven material.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. An armor for vehicle-tires comprising a core composed of metalWire-wool and a surrounding layer of fibrous material.

2. In an armor for pneumatic tires, the combination of a tubular fibrouscotton material with a central filling of metal wire- W00].

3. Ina pneumatic tire the combination with an air chamber, of an armorcomprising fibrous cotton with a central filling of wirewool.

4:. An armor for pneumatic tires comprising resilient Wire-Wool with acovering of fibrous cotton upon both the'back and front sides thereof.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, this 11th day of September, A. D. 1900.

BACON WAKEMAN.

Witnesses:

O. M. NEWMAN, ELBERT O. HULL.

